Sinodinos, Fifield to wave the diplomatic flag for Australia

Arthur Sinodinos will take over as Australian ambassador in Washington while Mitch Fifield heads to the UN.

NSW Liberal Senator Arthur Sinodinos will be the next Australian ambassador in Washington. Picture: Britta Campion

Scott Morrison has moved to put his own stamp on relations with the US by appointing NSW Liberals ­senator and former finance min­ister Arthur Sinodinos as the next Australian ambassador in Washington.

In unveiling his new cabinet, the Prime Minister also announced that former communi­cations minister Mitch Fifield would become the new Australian ambassador to the UN.

Joe Hockey has made it clear he intends to step down as ­ambassador to Washington in January and the government has no plans to ask him to vacate the post early.

Mr Morrison said that at “the ­appropriate time” he would recommend to the Governor-­General that Senator Sinodinos and Senator Fifield be appointed as ambassadors.

It is not known if Mr Morrison has discussed any diplomatic postings with either former ­foreign minister Julie Bishop or former prime minister Tony ­Abbott.

The Sinodinos move continues a long line of political appointments to the Washington post, the most important and sensitive diplomatic role for Australia.

Before Mr Hockey, a former treasurer, the post was held by ­former Labor deputy prime minister Kim Beazley, who is now ­Governor of Western Australia.

Towards the end of John Howard’s term as prime minister, he had intended to appoint Senator Sinodinos, his long-term chief of staff, to the Washington role.

Senator Sinodinos, who had a young family, preferred to go into politics.

It is no disrespect to Senator Sino­dinos to observe that his achievements as prime ministerial chief of staff have been far greater than his achievements in frontline politics, a period during which he has been plagued by ill health.

He says he is in good health now. He clearly has the standing and political connections to perform the job well, both with ­Donald Trump in office and also should a Democrat succeed Mr Trump in the White House in 2020.

The Sinodinos appointment will open up a casual vacancy in the Senate in NSW.

Under the Constitution, the Liberal Party will be able to nominate to the NSW Premier who it wants to fill the casual vacancy.

Outgoing senator Jim Molan, although a sitting senator, had been dumped to the unwinnable No 4 position on the NSW ­Coalition Senate ticket and thus was not elected on May 18.

Senator Molan, a retired major general in the Australian Army, first got involved in politics through helping Mr Morisson to design Operation Sovereign ­Borders to stop the flow of illegal immigrants in Australia’s north.

He is a popular figure in the rank and file of the Liberal Party but was out of favour with the dominant faction chiefs in NSW.

There is also some resentment against him for urging voters to cast their vote “below the line” ­directly for him. This caused some angst within the Nationals party.

Mr Morrison yesterday said it would be up to the NSW division of the Liberal Party to choose a successor for Senator Sinodinos.

However, as the Prime Minister who won a miraculous election victory for the Liberals, it is inconceivable the party would go against him in choosing a replacement senator.

Senator Fifield’s departure will also cause a casual vacancy in the Senate in Victoria. The Australian understands that Sarah Henderson — who lost the knife edge Victorian seat of Corangamite to Labor at the election — is likley to step-up to fill the casual Senate vacancy left by Senator Fifield.

Mr Morrison has shown a deft political touch in these appointments and it is also inconceivable that he would be indifferent to the choice of a replacement for Senator Sinodinos.

It is more of a departure in ­Australian diplomacy to make a political appointment as ambass­ador to the UN.

Professional diplomats have served Australia well in that post, as they also have in Washington.

However, the position at the UN is also deeply concerned with articulating a nation’s political ­values. As a former senior cabinet minister, Senator Fifield is well qualified to do this.

These appointments suggest that Mr Morrison has achieved a traditional prime ministerial multiple ambition — making appointments that are good in themselves, which allow promotion and renewal in political ranks, and which strengthen the international profile of the nation.